Pivoted fluke anchor



June 21, 1955 R. D. 066 2,711,150

PIVOTED FLUKE ANCHOR Filed Sept. 24, 1954 k k INVENTOR. l3 Robe/"f 0 0ECAHOFF g8" suck A7 amvera a- 5r C A MEMQER OF THE FIR PIVOTED FLUKEANCHOR Robert D. Ogg, Kensington, Califi, assignor to Danforth Anchors,a corporation of California Application September 24, 1954, Serial No.458,142 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) either end of the shank although it iscommon to pivot the shank on the stock so the latter is provided at theafter end of the shank.

When such an anchor is cast overboard from a boat or ship and ispermitted to fall upon bottom, the pull provided by the attached cabledraws the anchor over the bottom. To ensure that the fiukes engagebottom positively and without too much loss of time, it is usual toatent flukes 10 and 11, shank provide, at the after end of the anchor, astructure to facilitate movement of the flukes into operating positionand engagement with the bottom. This structure, usually termed thecrown, has included arrangements of both arcuate and plane surfacesextending upwardly more or less directly from the plane of the fiukesfor a considerable distance above such plane, it being the purpose ofthe crown to ensure that the anchor engages bottom promptly with thefiukes disposed relative to the shank in their final operative position.

The disengagement of such an anchor from ordinary bottom is a relativelysimple matter, it only being necessary to move the boat or ship forwarduntil it is approximately over the anchor and then apply an upward pullon the anchor cable or chain, with the result that the anchor is movedinto a position in which te shank extends vertically and the anchor canbe readily withdrawn from bottom.

If, by chance, the anchor should become fouled with a rock, tree orother fixed obstruction upon the bottom, release and recovery of theanchor becomes somewhat problematical. The safest way to handle thissituation requires forethought in that a light line is attached to therear end of the anchor before it is cast overboard; such a line enablesone to exert a rearward pulling force upon the anchor and thus retractit from its fouled position. This practice is, however, usually too muchtrouble for the average person and anchors are therefore frequentlylost, together with at least some portion of the attached cable orchain.

In accordance with this invention, I provide a twin fluke anchorconstruction which enables a twin fluke anchor to be used in theordinary manner and yet its release and recovery from a foulingengagement with a foreign object on the bottom is facilitated.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide animproved twin fluke anchor construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a twin flukeanchor construction enabling the anchor to be recovered from a fouledposition or engagement.

The invention includes other objects and features of cordance with thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the anchor illustrating operation of theeasy-release means embodied in the anchor.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the anchor.

The anchor, as shown in the drawings, includes twin 12, stock 13 andcrown plates 14 and 15.

The. flukes are preferably secured in a co-planar relation on eitherside of the shank 12, the latter having an eye 16 at its forward end forattachment to an anchor chain or cable.

The flukes 10 and 11 include reinforcing ribs 18 and 19 formed on theedge nearest the shank by bending of each fluke upon itself at an angleof approximately the flukes are right and left-hand and when mounted inposition, the ribs 18 and 19 extend in the same directions. Each rib, atthe rear end of the fluke, is parallel and adjacent to the shank tomaintain the fiukes in position and prevent undue lateral movementbetween the shank and fluke. Of course, the flukes need not beconstructed as I have indicated and one can employ cast or fabricatedconstructions, such as are shown in the aforementioned patents andPatents 2,510,867 and 2,633,626.

To secure the crown plates 14 and 15 in their correct position, spacerplates 20 and 21 are provided on each side of the shank 12 to confinethe shank in position on the stock 13; the stock extends through asuitable aperture in the spacer plates (Figures 1, 2 and 3). Each spacerplate is welded as at 31 to the adjacent fluke and to the reinforcingrib 18 and 19; the crown plates 14 and 15 are each welded to the spacerplates as at 32. Each fluke includes an ear 33 thereon, the rear edge ofeach fluke and each ear being welded to the stock as at 34.

The crown plates act as stops to limit the swing of the shank and flukesrelation to one another to provide for the correct angular relationsbetween the shank and fiukes when these are in operative position and,in the form shown, each crown plate is formed with a long narrow slot 22to engage the shank and permit of an adequate swing of the shank, aswill be further described. By providing opposite spacer plates securedto each fluke, adequate support is provided. for the crown plates 14 and15 in the desired relation to the plane of the flukes. The spacer platesare made quite simply as by stamping; they provide an adequate supportfor the crown plates with a very low resistance to burial.

In accordance with this invention, the narrow slot 22 provided in eachof the crown plates is made quite deep in each plate, enabling the shankto swing rearwardly, for example, into the dotted line positionindicated at 23 in Figure 2. However, the normal operating position ofthe shank is as shown in full lines in Figures 2 and 3, and wherein theedge of the shank is engaged with one or the other of cotter pins 24extending transversely through suitably positioned apertures in thespacer plates 20 and 21. The position of the cotter pins 24 in relationto the shank is such that these define the angle of swing of the shankabout the stock 13. Normally, the shank can swing through a total are offrom 30 to as much as corresponding to a fluke angle, as defined inPatent 2,249,546, for example, of from 15 to 50. However, the extent ofthe normal swing of the shank relative to the fluke forms no part of thepresent invention as this is fully spelled out in the prior art and theposition of the cotter pins 24 is chosen in accordance with suchteachings and to provide the desired fluke angle. The cotter PatentedJune 21, 1955 pins, however, do provide frangible elements which aresevered upon application of a pull in excess of that to which the anchoris normally subjected in use as an anchor. Thus, if the anchor shouldbecome accidentally fouled when in use and its withdrawal is notpossible by ordinary efiorts, continued pull applied upon the attachedcable or chain will result in breakage of one of the frangible elements24, as provided by the cotter pins, and so permit the shank 12 to swingthrough the full depth of slot 22 and into that position in which it isshown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and in which position the pull of thecable or chain is sutliciently rearwardly that the opportunity forwithdrawal of the anchor from engagement with the object with which ithas become fouled is vastly improved.

In place of cotter pins, one can use other frangible elements such asbrass rods, and in smaller sizes of an chors, even ordinary nails bentso as to remain in place until broken. The shank can swing through anarc of as much as from about 90 to 180 to the plane of the flukes, itbeing first necessary in the case of the latter swing to extend slot 22to the full length of the crown plates so these are, in effect, divided.

From the foregoing, I believe it will be apparent that I have provided anovel and improved twin fluke anchor construction.

I claim:

1. In an anchor of the twin fluke type having a pair of spaced flukeseach having parallel faces thereon extending substantially in a singleplane and simultaneously engaging bottom when in operative position, astock, a shank pivotally mounted for a swinging movement between theflukes, the flukes being disposed substantially symmetrically withrespect to the shank, a crown at the rear of the anchor includin'g acrown-plate on each side of the flukes disposed laterally centrally be-Jtween the spaced flukes, each crown plate having a slot therein forengaging the shank and thereby permitting the shank to swing away fromthe plane of the flukes through an angle of at least about 90, and afrangible element extending across the slot and normally limiting swingof the shank away from the plane of the flukes to an angle of from about15 to about I 2. In an anchor of the twin fluke type having a pair ofspaced flukes each having parallel faces thereon extending substantiallyin a single plane and simultaneously engaging bottom when inoperativeposition, a

stock, a shank pivotally mounted for a swinging movement between theflukes, the flukes being disposed substantially symmetrically withrespect to the shank, a

crown at the rear of the anchor including a crown-plate on each side ofthe flukes disposed laterally centrally be: tween the spaced flukes,each crown plate having a slot therein for engaging the shank andthereby permitting the shank to swing away from the plane of the flukesthrough an angle in excess of and a frangible element extending acrossthe slot and normally limiting swing of the shank away from the plane ofthe flukes to an'angle of from about 15 to about 50.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MillenJune 13, 1950

